Anthony Bernard Franko

Case Details

Anthony was last seen walking to his school on the morning of May 8, 1983 in Lemmon Valley, Nevada. He was a fifth grade student at Lemmon Valley Elementary School, and lived with his mother and stepfather a half-mile from the school. Although Anthony’s normal route to school was to walk north of Fremont Street, he apparently went in the opposite direction the morning he disappeared. A witness saw him in a cul-de-sac on the south end of Fremont Street, talking to an unknown individual driving a rusted out vehicle, possibly a Ford Pinto or a Camaro. He never arrived at school and has never been heard from again. The school didn’t notify Anthony’s family that he didn’t show up for class; as a result, they didn’t realize he was missing until later that day, when he didn’t call his mother as he was supposed to do every day after he got home from school. She notified the police after she came home, it got dark and Anthony had still not arrived home. Anthony was a member of the 4-H Club, and the day before his disappearance he won a blue ribbon for showing his pet pony and two rabbits at a 4-H show. He took his ribbon with him when he left for school the next day, planning to show it to classmates. A month before his disappearance, he ran away from home and went into the mountains after his mother punished him for poor grades. But that time he took some food and dishes with him, left a goodbye note, and then returned home within hours. When he came back, he cried and told his mother he would never run away again. When Anthony vanished in May 1983 the police initially assumed he’d run away a second time, and didn’t start to investigate other theories until several days had passed. His mother never believed he had run away, because he was very happy on the day of his disappearance due to his 4-H ribbon. Both his mother and stepfather took polygraph tests and were ruled out as suspects. His mother stated Anthony was somewhat naive for his age and would have talked to a stranger. Investigators believe he was abducted while walking to school and probably murdered. His mother continues to hope he’s still alive. No strong suspects have ever been identified in his disappearance; it remains unsolved. Investigating Agency Washoe County Sheriff’s Office 775-328-3001 775-328-3369 Source Information The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children NamUs Operation Lookout California Attorney General’s Office KOLO TV The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes The Reno Gazette-Journal Updated 7 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated May 16, 2023; age-progression updated.